Fleet Collection: The Origins
by ufufu
Summary: The story of the endless war between the Kantai Musume (Ship Daughters) and the Abyssal Fleet, as well as a little insight on their lives before their weaponization as narrated by the Ship Daughters themselves. Each chapter is narrated by a Ship Daughter, focusing on their emotional state, their relationships and the world around them that plunged them into the hellish battlefield.
1. Prologue & Fubuki-class Destroyer Fubuki

_The sea; a miracle of the Earth, vast and deep, sustaining life for as long as this world has existed._

 _Yet its everlasting, blue hue and unimaginable depth only fills us with questions, as the true nature of its contents is still a mystery._

 _The Abyssal Fleet, a vicious group of monstrous maidens in possession of technology and weaponry one would not expect to see emerging from the depths, has been making its appearance and terrorizing the shores of the world, threatening the extinction of humanity._

 _But few were the forces that could combat such otherworldly beasts._

 _The nightmarish maids could only be countered by equals to themselves, thus the Fleet Collection was born._

 _Originating in Japan, the enhancement and weaponization of young capable women was established as a necessary government-powered program to help fight against the Abyssals._

 _They were dubbed the Ship Daughters, named after famous warships of the past and weaponized accordingly, and only they had the power to dare to defy the merciless Abyssal Fleet._

 _Soon, the entire world would begin to follow Japan's example, and thus a war had broken out: the war against the unknown but surely dreadful Abyssal Fleet, the war to decide humanity's ultimate fate._

 _This is the story of this war, as told by the Ship Daughters themselves._

* * *

It's been only 2 days since my construction. I have been resting within the construction site along with several other girls around my age for the last couple of days, waiting to be dispatched to my assigned base. The procedures are taking longer than I thought, though I believe government staff is probably really nervous and rushing to dispatch as many Ship Daughters as possible in a very short amount of time. They weren't so anxious about it until last week; the Abyssal Fleet had only so many disposable units to launch at us until it developed stronger ones. They say that the Abyssal Fleet's weaponry resembles that of warships, with few modifications which depend on the type of Abyssal. I wonder, what do they truly look like from up close? But I'm not sure if I want to know.

Honestly, I'm a little nervous myself. I have been named "Fubuki", prototype of the Fubuki-class Destroyers. I've noticed that the girls selected to become Destroyers are all around my age. I'm in the last grade of middle school, but I've seen girls as young as middle school juniors, barely out of elementary school. I wonder who approved of the usage of children for this program… I heard from some other girls that Destroyer firearms are only compatible with young girls like us, but I just can't seem to understand it. I can't understand what's going on. Why am I here? Why can't I become a normal human again? What if I never taste mother's katsu don again? I miss my mom. I miss my dad. I miss my dog.

For the past few nights, I've been lying sleepless in my unclean futon, feeling like I've wronged the universe somehow. I can't bring myself to talk to the other girls during the day, and I think they think I'm weird. But they must be feeling bad as well, and I don't want to disturb them. It's the dawn of the third day in the construction site camping area. Finally, my class is called upon, with me, the prototype, being the representative.

"Fubuki-class Destroyer, Fubuki, assemble."

I sluggishly pull myself together and rush to the couple of government officials calling my new name. One looked very strict and uptight, constantly repositioning his glasses, the other serious but in a more leisurely fashion, sporting a week-old beard. The uptight one looked at me and made an expression which I can only describe as "disgust", which I'm assuming is due to the dark circles under my eyes and the miserable expression on my face. Am I miserable, though?

"Right, she's present." How could I not be? Where else am I to go? I just want to see the sky again.

The officials began calling the names of several other girls from the Fubuki-class.

"Fubuki-class Destroyer Murakumo. Present." A girl with icy blue hair, and a troubled expression. I wonder what she's thinking about.

More girls appeared.

"Fubuki-class Destroyer Hatsuyuki. Present."

"Fubuki-class Destroyer Uranami. Present."

"Shirayuki. Present."

"Isonami. Present."

"Miyuki. Present."

We were all here. Ready to face war.

"You will be transported to the base of ███████." Said the bearded one. "Make sure there is nothing you forget at the construction site, for you will never see it again." But mister, I wanted to say, there is nothing anyway. Nothing is left of us, or for us.

And then, we were on the truck on our way to our base. Nobody lifted her head or tried to talk while we were being transported. My head was in a mess. I am in so much pain. I want to cry, but no more tears will come out now. I made mom cry, I made dad upset, I made my dog hate me. All because I left like this, because I was taken to fight in a war against a truly awful enemy. I wish I had another chance to tell mom I love her. To taste her katsu don again, to go shopping for a new school uniform. It's almost March. I should be shopping for new shoes and socks. Mom, I'm so sorry. I promise at the end of this war, I'll come back alive. I will dare to step ahead and finish it all with what little power I have. Mom, I'm going to come back. I'm going to be alive. Please wait for me… Be a little patient.

And then, I was in a trance, and ended up falling asleep.

* * *

Inside that truck, I saw a dream. It was a gorgeous Sunday morning. Mom, Dad, and my dog Aki were all sitting around our dinner table with me. We were having a wonderful meal packed with Mom's delicious recipes. "Misaki," my mom would say, "are you enjoying your meal?" And "yes" I would respond in a rush, making sure she knows how much I love her and her cooking. We were all smiling. We were all happy, until the sun disappeared and clouds covered the entire sky. Our house began to flood with seawater, carrying my family far away from me. But I stayed there; under the pressure of the water, I couldn't move. I was drowning. I was not human anymore, and I was alone, and I was drowning. I was sinking.

The dream ended with me submitting to the ocean's tight but serene embrace, but I did not wake up immediately. I remained there, deep down in the wet abyss.

* * *

I opened my eyes. I saw the ceiling of a large room, painted in the color of daffodils. I slightly raise my head to see three pairs of curious eyes around me. They look worried, too.

"Hey... She's opening her eyes!"

"Really? Woah, she is."

"Fubuki, please wake up!"

What is all this commotion? I'm still floating in the ocean of my dream, but I can see in front of me now. Right next to me, there's a girl with green clothes and short, brown hair. To my left, there's a girl with eyes like emeralds and long blonde hair. And next to her, there is another girl with long icy blue hair and golden eyes... I'm pretty sure I've seen her before. Isn't she part of the Fubuki-class?

"Fubuki, are you here with us?" said the girl with the short hair. I looked at her and I nodded.

"I'm glad! I'm so glad!" She exclaimed. She's quite odd... Her eyes are so big and expressive.

"What happened? Where am I?" I spoke in a weak tone.

"You fell asleep on our way to the base, and when we arrived, you wouldn't wake up!" She said worryingly. "Everybody got worried, and now you're in the dorm you've been assigned to."

I passed out? And I created such a fuss too. I didn't mean to make such an entrance...

"Forgive me for making this a big deal. I'm just very tired." I apologized.

"No need to worry!" Said the golden-haired girl, full of excitement. "Mutsuki, who's right next to you, and I are going to be your new roommates! We're Destroyers as well, but from different classes. I'm Yuudachi!" Mutsuki... Yuudachi... So that's the situation at hand. This place is starting to feel more like a school rather than a warzone, somehow. I don't know if that's a good thing.

"And you?" I asked, looking at the pouty girl with the blue hair. "You are a Fubuki-class Destroyer, aren't you?"

"Yeah." She responded with an attitude. "I'm here to pick you up. Because of you, Fubuki-class has not been introduced to the Admiral yet." The Admiral... the one in charge of the Ship Daughters and the base. The one doing all the string pulling, the one deciding our battles. I'm scared of the face I will be greeted with when we do go introduce ourselves to him. "So. Get up and get ready now, the rest of the class you represent is already waiting outside of the Admiral's office. Don't be any more of a nuisance and hurry up." She surely isn't very forgiving. But I'm assuming that she is also quite tired. She's trying to hide it behind snarky and mean comments. Her name... or well, the name assigned to her... it was Murakumo, wasn't it?

I got ready, and I made my way to the Admiral's office where I was greeted by the rest of the girls I saw at the truck and the construction site. They all looked quite nervous, and so was I. Not Murakumo though, she just looked angry. When we were all gathered, a woman in some sort of secretary outfit emerged from the Admiral's office and proceeded to count us one by one.

"Fubuki-class, please step inside. You will now meet the Admiral." She said with a smile and she went back inside.

Murakumo gave me a little push, implying that as the prototype I should lead the way. And so, I did, and the rest of the girls followed.

We went inside to find a quite large, but minimalistic room with a wooden office in the back, close to the windows. There, we saw a man in a white uniform, looking at us like a scientist examining his test subjects before an experiment. The secretary woman was standing right next to him with a catalogue in her hands.

"Katori," he said silently. "would you please go and instruct Takao-class Heavy Cruiser Takao to assemble Ayanami, Akatsuki and Mutsuki-class in the training area so they can be informed of their schedule from now on?" He turned his gaze to us. "The rest will be informed by Heavy Cruiser Atago." The secretary woman named Katori nodded. "Certainly, Admiral." And then she left the office.

We were nervously expecting his first words towards us, as his attention was now purely focused on us. I gulped.

"Welcome to the Base of ███████, I'm Admiral ████ and I'm in charge of this place and of all of you." He said in a solemn tone. "I understand that you were late in your introduction because of Destroyer Fubuki's deteriorating state of health, but I'm assuming everything is as it should be now, Fubuki?" He stared at me with his emotionless eyes. "Yes, Admiral, I'm sorry for the disturbance." I managed to say something. "Very good," he said and he got up from his chair.

"As you know, you are no longer humans. You might still have human functions, but you are no longer like your mother or your father or your former classmates." The mentions of mother and father stung a little bit. He's very straightforward. "You have been carefully chosen as appropriate vessels for this war against the unknown threat that is the Abyssal Fleet." He walked away from his chair and made his way in front of his desk. "From now on you will be staying in this base where you will be housed, fed, educated and of course trained just like regular humans, with the exception that you will function as a military unit. There will be many battles, there will be expeditions, and there will be tragedies, and maybe even casualties." My heart stopped beating for a second. "However, you are Ship Daughters now, meaning there's nothing about you that isn't repairable. The Base contains numerous advanced facilities to cater to the need of every Ship Daughter. The facilities will be explained and introduced to you by an older cruiser soon." He repositioned his hat and looked straight at me. "However, you're warships now. Your duty is to serve humanity, to fight and to excel at fighting. You will still attend a type of school, and there will be time for hobbies, but that is to be kept at a minimum." His gaze turns my blood ice cold. "Everything will be explained to you soon. Normally, you would have the introduction to the facilities today, but due to the harsh circumstances of your initial construction, it's been decided that you will have this day off. Do not wander outside the base, and try to relax. Tomorrow, at 7 A.M. sharp, you are expected to be present in the Base Yard in front of the main building to meet your instructor ship and you will be given your class uniforms. Is this clear?" "Yes, Admiral." We all nodded in agreement. "Good. I expect great results from you. You are dismissed." And with that, he went back to his chair and sat down. We made our way outside the office, but as I was leaving, I caught a glimpse of him starring into my eyes again. He's truly frightening, without even doing anything to appear that way.

I sometimes wonder if I will ever live to see the world outside of this place again. Aki is always at the door in the afternoon, waiting for me to get back from school and play with her. I promised Mom to always tidy my room once I arrive home. I broke my promise now. I want to make amends. But even if I was home right now… there would be nothing to clean up. Not now that I'm gone.

I miss home.

Will I be able to survive?

* * *

A few hours passed, it was 9 P.M., and I was looking out the window of my dorm. The sky was clear, and you could see the stars. The moon reflected on the sea, it was a spectacle to behold.

"Fubuki! You've been staying there all day! Don't you want to come with me and Yuudachi? We're going to other Destroyers' dorms to meet them!" Mutsuki said in an excited tone behind me. "No thank you, Mutsuki. I'd rather stay inside and rest." I said. I must sound very boring. "Alright, take care!" Yuudachi made her way outside the dorm and Mutsuki followed after. I stopped her a second before she left. "Mutsuki, wait." She turned around. "What's wrong, Fubuki?" I hesitated at first, but I can't understand why she's so happy. I must know… "What... What is your name?" She stared at me in confusion, and then laughed awkwardly. "It's Mutsuki! What else could it be?" "No... I mean your real name. Your human name." Her expression became dull, and I could almost see her shed a tear there. "My name is Mutsuki. I have no other name, and I don't understand why you would ask this, Fubuki. I'm just Mutsuki! Mutsuki-class Destroyer Mutsuki!" She said, and then she ran away. It appears Mutsuki has either completely accepted her new life, or hasn't at all. I don't blame her for being confused, however. None of us is taking this lightly.

I looked out the window again. The sky, the sea; they were the same. But this time, I saw Murakumo sitting on the dock. It's definitely her, I could recognize her fluffy, sky-blue mane from everywhere. "Maybe I shouldn't stay in here the entire night…" I thought to myself. And so, I made my way downstairs and towards the dock Murakumo was sitting on.

"Murakumo?" I called out to her hesitantly. She turned her head, only to pout at the sight of me.

"Oh, it's you. I thought you weren't planning to leave your dorm." She said as she directed her gaze back to the night sky.

"I decided against that when I saw you here. Stargazing and a little fresh air couldn't be too bad now." I said with a smile, but her expression did not change. I could have sworn she blushed a little, however.

We stared at the sky in silence.

"You know," Murakumo ruined the silent tranquility by speaking up. Not that I mind. "back at home, there was a cliff that I always went to since I was a kid. There is no other place in Japan where you can see the sky and the stars as clearly as there." She said in a very calm tone. "I'm surprised," I said. "No one else seems willing to talk about where they're from before this place. Not that I've spoken to a lot of people…" She chuckled. "It's not easy to accept you know. One day you're at school doing club activities and then coming home to a delicious homemade meal, the other day you're in a military base being trained to become a weapon to service humanity." She averted her gaze from the sky and looked away from my direction, as if trying to hide her face.

"What's your name?" I asked in a rush. I needed to know. "What does it matter?" She said in an angry manner. "It's not like it matters anymore. We're just machines now. And that isn't even an exaggeration, like I wish it was." Sadly, she was right. When the war is over, what's going to be left of us? Our names have been deleted from the registry. I am now Fubuki. She's Murakumo. And even if we do survive, there's nothing about this we can leave behind. We will never be human again, so we had to abandon our human names for eternity. But, is that really the case? The only way for something to truly die is for it to be forgotten by everyone on this Earth. But something, a name, a person, is truly immortal only when the memories of their existence are carried on through people. I want to be remembered. I want Murakumo to be remembered.

"The only way for us to stay alive, even after the death of our human identities is for the memory of our names to be passed on. From now on, we are to be named Fubuki and Murakumo. But who we were; no, who we are as humans is what's really to be remembered."

There was a long pause. Murakumo stared down at the sea, counting every single wave with her eyes.

"Mariko." She whispered. "Huh?" I couldn't hear her.

"Mariko. My name is Mariko." For the second time tonight, she turned her gaze towards me and looked at me in the eyes. Somehow, I could see it in her eyes; she was lifting a huge burden off her chest.

"That's amazing! I'm Misaki!" I said excitedly. Mariko looked surprised at the sight of me actually smiling and cheering this way. She'd only known me for a day, which I spent looking miserable.

We stared at each other in awe for a few seconds. I think that's where we both realized, even if physically we're not "human" anymore. Even if our bodies are filled with wires or mechanical parts, even if we're human sized weapons. We're still humans. With names, with families, with consciences, with precious, precious memories.

"Mariko." I said lovingly and looked into her eyes. I felt happy.

"Misaki." She said in a similar manner, and looked back. She finally smiled.

The moon shone above us, the sea kept gently hitting the shore.

We are humans, like everyone else. And we're going to fight for humanity's sake, and even if our names are different now, even if we have to erase our past in order to become what we are expected to become, our memories will still last.

We will never be forgotten.


	2. Tenryuu-class Light Cruiser Tenryuu

"Tenryuu, please hurry! We have to get back to the base immediately!"

It was a cold, cold, evening. The rainstorm was unforgiving, the treacherous sea waters bathing us from head to toe. Our only illumination was our nearly broken nightlights and the raging thunders striking down each wave every other minute. Our raincoats were torn, and our morale was at its lowest. But there I was, at the tail of the fleet making sure the Destroyers accompanying myself and Tatsuta were safe from potential fatalities. They were terrified. Ushio was trembling and crying, but Sazanami and Oboro were urging her to go on. But the real heartbreaker here is Akebono; a girl whose spirit burned like a blazing fire, a girl whose stubbornness had no limits. She would not stop moving, yet I could see it in her eyes every time she looked back; regret. Regret, pain, fear. The feeling of abandonment after being thrown in the middle of a freezing cold battlefield where danger lies under every rock, or every wave, in this instance. Her raging flare had been reduced to a weak flame, ready to burn out. But she was not alone. Boy, she was not alone.

We were out on a normal expedition. It was the first expedition that the young Destroyers of Ayanami-class had ever gone to, and the Admiral decided to send me and Tatsuta to guide them, as he often does with most new Destroyers in expeditions or easy sorties. It was going to be a simple one-hour expedition. But clouds had already been occupying the sky, and Tatsuta was worried before we even began. As we went on, it started raining. And then, thirty minutes into the expedition, when we were not supposed to see anybody else with us, we saw them. Three Abyssal submarines, one of them an elite Ka -class. Tatsuta froze in place, and I immediately decided it was time to fight. But then, Tatsuta grabbed my shoulder.

"No! We're not well equipped! We must protect the Destroyers! Retreat!"

And so, we ran away. And we ran. And here we were now, with two Abyssal submarines on our tails.

"We're almost there, I can see the docks! I can see the base! Please keep up!"

The Abyssals knew they could not pursue for much longer. Soon they would be forced to retreat, and I could already see them slow down. It would be over soon.

Until, it was not.

I heard the sound of their unidentifiable weaponry being readied to fire. The elite submarine Abyssal unleashed a torpedo that was approaching too fast for us to avoid. We were at our most vulnerable state. But that is where I stand; I could never allow this to harm them.

An explosion ensued. Tatsuta and the young Destroyers were blown away, but barely injured by the blast. My equipment was ruined, my clothes and body torn to bits. I could hear the faint sounds of the young ones screaming and Tatsuta trying to call out to me. My ears had stopped working, my eyes were not functioning. But even then, I was still standing. I was still standing.

And then, it all turned black.

* * *

When I was a kid, a human kid, I was always a lot of trouble for my parents. They never really did anything wrong while raising me, I just didn't want them around. I guess I was never a good child. "Tsubasa!" My mother would yell. Don't do this, why did you do that, stop doing this, stop doing that. None of those words ever mattered since I always went my way anyway.

"Why are you always so stubborn and reckless?" She would ask. If it had been anyone else, I'd stick my tongue out and run away. But her, no, I would never ever dismiss her.

"Because I don't like being told how to act. You know that." I'd say in frustration.

"Well, that's really not the way to go, I hope you know that." She was always so much more mature. She was always so kind. Everything about her was so much more graceful, and pleasant. I often found myself wishing I was anything like her. Plus, if it weren't for her, I'd have never made it to this day and age. I want to be able to live on. But will I be able to?

Is anybody there…?

…

"What's her condition, Akashi?"

I heard a familiar voice.

"She's stable now, but the human part of her body also went through a number of significant injuries that can usually be easily avoided had she not taken a direct hit from the torpedo willingly. She will recover soon, and will be transferred to the docks for equipment repairs."

My vision is hazy, but I can open my eyes now. Soon, I see the silhouettes of what seem to be Tatsuta and Akashi conversing on my left. I'm on a white bed, in a white room, with while walls and white ceiling. I probably look like a mess. But Tatsuta is always shining. Her skin, her hair, her eyes.

Suddenly, she turned her gaze towards me.

"Tenryuu! You're awake!" She exclaimed happily.

"Ah, she's already conscious. That's a relief!" said Akashi. She looked happy as well.

"Tatsuta…" I tried to say.

"Please don't speak dear. Just do your best to recover." She held my hand, and she gently kissed the top.

"By the way," Tatsuta brought out a letter in a pale pink envelope. "I was asked by a certain group of Destroyers to deliver this letter to you." She said. I assumed this was from the Ayanami-class girls that were with us on the expedition.

"You probably guessed already, but it's a very, very long thank you letter. They're a little embarrassed to confront you about it right now." She said. "I'm going to leave this right here so you can read it later when you're better, alright?" I nodded, and she smiled as she placed the envelope on my nightstand.

"I'm going to deliver the news to Ooyodo, so she informs the Admiral." Said Akashi. "Everything is going to be okay, Tenryuu." She smiled confidently and exited the room.

Tatsuta, who was still holding my hand, waited until Akashi closed the door. She looked at me in the eyes and lightly slapped my palm. Bewildered, I looked at her in confusion, only to see tears welling up in her loving eyes.

"What you did was indeed brave, but please try to stay out of harm's way." She smiled through the sadness out of pure relief.

"I'm sorry…" I managed to say. She placed her finger on my lips and smiled lovingly.

"No need to tire yourself out. Everything is going to be okay." She said and I softly kissed her fingertip. She smiled. She was radiant, like an angel from above. All I could do was admire the warmth her smile would emit, and there is nothing I would want more.

I hear the door open. Tatsuta turns her head around to see the Admiral enter with one of the secretaries, Ooyodo. I'm surprised to see him here, and admittedly quite nervous.

"Tenryuu-class Light Cruiser, Tenryuu." He exclaimed in his ice cold, solemn voice as he stood in front of my bed. "I'd like to formally thank you for your successful attempt at protecting the Ayanami-class quartet. Your temporary sacrifices mean a lot to this base, and to me personally." He turned his head to face the window on my right.

"It's unfortunate your injuries have gone past the mechanical part of body. For your service, you may be allowed as much time as you need to recover. You're a valuable asset to the expedition fleets, and to the entirety of the Light Cruisers in our base." I began feeling comfortable with his praising and understanding words, but that soon changed as his piercing gaze turned back to me.

"However," he paused abruptly. "It would be better if you refrained from putting yourself in harm's way deliberately, as the human part of your body is more likely to take serious damage in that case." I gulped.

"If a Ship Daughter were to die of anything other than sinking to the bottom of the sea, that would be a disgrace, would it not?" Cold sweat began to drip down my temples, yet I was still too hurt to speak a word. Tatsuta silently stood by me, her head tilted to her front, her stare meeting my resting hands.

"I hope you understand my concerns, Tenryuu. I shall take my leave now. Once you have fully recovered, I expect you to excel in any upcoming sorties and expeditions you're assigned to." He then turned towards the door.

"Tenryuu-class Light Cruiser Tatsuta." He called, and Tatsuta lifted her head and looked the Admiral in the eyes. "You are to return to your duties within the next twenty minutes. Do not fall behind schedule." He ordered. "Yes, Admiral." Said Tatsuta, whose terrifying gaze was only matched by that of the Admiral's. Just watching the two of them gave me goosebumps.

The Admiral left the room and Ooyodo followed after him. Tatsuta turned her head back to me, only to see my probably ridiculously worried expression. She smiled again and placed her hand on mine. "Don't worry. Just focus on recovering." She then made her way out of the room. After being left alone, I slowly closed my eyes, and I dreamed.

* * *

As I started dreaming, a precious childhood memory began to show itself inside my head.

"Be careful! You're going to fall down if you're not!" I heard her youthful voice again. She was always watching out for me.

"Arata! Please don't worry! I can do this!" I was climbing a tall, tall apple tree, because the reddest apple of all of them was hanging from a branch that was too high. But she loves apples, so how could I not pick the reddest of them all? I climbed, and climbed, with her telling me to be safe all the way from the ground. I reached, and reached, and I grab the apple with all my might. But as soon as I do that… I lose my balance, and I fall from the branch towards the ground. Arata runs under me and spreads her arms ready to catch me. I fall on her arms but we both land on the ground.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" I get up quickly and try to help her too. But she's not angry. She just laughs. She's just sitting on the ground, laughing like she just heard the funniest joke in the world.

"Hey… are you laughing at me?" I pouted. She just kept on laughing. Between her tears of happiness, she managed to tell me something.

"You really are something, you know that? You just make me so happy!" Her face shone radiantly, and I was only standing there, with the reddest apple of the tree on my hands. I felt… accomplished, proud… proud. Very proud.

"Arata?" I spoke. "Yes?" She said delicately. "Let's be together forever." To which she responded with "Yes, please." But then, I woke up, and nothing was no longer where it was meant to be.

* * *

A mere three days later, I'm having lunch at Mamiya's Base Restaurant. Bandaged all over, but I am still standing. It's early noon, so I'm the only one there because everyone else is busy with their schedule. "And here's your katsudon, made with plenty of love as always~" Irako announced as she happily placed the hot bowl in front of me. "Thank you for the food." I exclaimed as I began to eat.

"So, how has your recovery been going?" Said Irako as she took a seat on the opposite side of the table. She always smelled like fresh vegetables and shrimp tempura, which is just as tasty and warm as her bright personality.

"I'm much better, thank you for asking." I briefly stopped. "I have to admit, it feels a little weird to not be able to do much more than lie around in the docks for days. I want back in on the action." Irako smiled.

"Of course! I'm sure in a couple more days you'll be better in no time. With enough rest and Mamiya's hearty meals, you're only bound to get better." I chuckled. I love these two, their company is always comforting in times of stress.

"Though…" I murmured. "Hm?" Irako got curious. "I'm a little worried. Tatsuta has been handling a lot of expeditions on her own. Ones that we were supposed to lead together. I haven't seen her in the past two days… I hope she's doing alright." Irako smirked.

"You seem pretty worried about her. I'm sure everything is going to be fine. You should focus on getting well again to get back in on the action with her~" I blushed as I finished my bowl of katsudon. "T-Thank you for the food once again, it was delicious." Irako smirked again. "You're very welcome!"

"What? What do you mean we lost contact?!" I heard someone yelling. Irako instantly looked over in concern.

"Thank you, Irako. Give my thanks to Mamiya as well, please excuse me now." I rushed outside as Irako waved goodbye. Just as I went out the door, I caught a glimpse of Irako's face. She looked… sad, or maybe worried. But I think that's just me.

Outside, I was greeted by the Ayanami-class quartet that I saved from the ambush in that expedition three days ago, accompanied by Ooyodo, one of the Admiral's secretaries.

"Please, calm down. Their equipment must be malfunctioning, but we must not lose hope. This happens from time to time, I'm sure there's no disturbance." Ooyodo tried to explain, but she looked stressed out.

"What's going on?" I intervene. The Destroyers turned their heads towards me and began to panic silently. I haven't seen them since the incident, apart from their wonderfully composed letter. I'm sure they must feel embarrassed still.

"We have lost contact with Expedition Fleet A… They're assigned to Expedition 5, which is supposed to last an hour and a half at most, but they have yet to return after almost three hours out in the sea." Ooyodo explained, searching through her files with trembling hands.

"Miss… Miss Tenryuu…" Sazanami shivered at my presence, yet she managed to speak out. "Expedition Fleet A is Miss Tatsuta's Fleet… She's assigned to it along with the Akatsuki-class…"

My heart froze in place. Expedition 5… is one that requires a 5-ship fleet. Surely the Admiral did not think that four rookie Destroyers could be possible for a single Light Cruiser to command and guide, not for an expedition that lasts over an hour. Exactly what the fuck was he thinking?!

Though… he might as well have done it on purpose. Tatsuta does not like him, she does not like him one bit; but she has never gone against his absurd orders. The Akatsuki-class is a class consisting of four middle schoolers. Little children, modified, experimented on and thrown into a war with the unknown… Four tiny children, thrown into the open sea with a single Light Cruiser to guide them all on her own. And she still agreed… and now they're lost at sea without any communication. I'm sick of it. I'm fucking sick of it.

I stood in place seething with rage. "Miss… Tenryuu…?" Ushio's faint voice brought me back to reality. I immediately looked forward and made my hands into tight fists.

"I'm heading out. I'm going to find them." I declared. Ooyodo looked up in horror.

"B-But, Tenryuu! You haven't recovered, the Admiral said you need to wait until you're fully recovered to get back on the action! We'll just send a recovery fleet!" She begged and begged, but her attempts are futile. "If you get injured further, he might as well punish you for this! You're going against his orders! What am I going to tell him?!" She cried. But I had made up my mind.

"You can tell him to eat shit." I spouted angrily. The Destroyers and Ooyodo both audibly gasped, and Ooyodo froze in place as I ran towards the sortie dispatch area. I am not going to stand idly while he sinks his own soldiers. Soldiers… a word that truly hurts to say, but what hurts even more is how he probably doesn't even see us as that. To him, we're only the guns. Or not even that; we're the bullets. The disposable, endless, indistinguishable bullets.

Ready and equipped, I was released into the sea. I'm sure Ooyodo will inform the Admiral of this, and I'm sure a rescue fleet will come after me to send me back and recover Tatsuta's fleet, but I don't care. I know I'll face his judgement when all of this is over. I know I'll be punished, I know I will have to deal with the consequences. I'll do whatever it takes to bring them back; to bring her back. Even if I have to deal with this insufferable pain all over my body… Even if I have to deal with the consequences of disobeying a war general. I'd do anything for her.

* * *

I run, and I run. The sea seems endless as I cross past it, my sword tightly kept in my right hand. But suddenly, as I hurry through the waves, I can see them. Four terrified children, one with light blue hair half underwater, with her peers desperately clinging on to her to keep her from vanishing. They're crying. They're all crying. In the distance, a unique formation of enemy vessels is occupying the horizon. Two Light Cruiser Tsu-class on the sides, and in the middle a terrifying Torpedo Cruiser Chi-class Flagship. Its sickly yellow aura indicated its monstrous power. There's no other explanation… they're specifically targeting Destroyer oriented expedition fleets. That's smart, but a low blow as they're actual children. But what could these monsters know of humanity?

I was disoriented, but I focused as I approached. And then I see her; Tatsuta, wielding her scythe, several meters away from the weeping Destroyers. Her blade and body both stained in blood, she's facing towards the enemy forces. Tatsuta… what is she doing? She would never do this. Tatsuta would never fight a battle this unfair. But at the same time… what else could she have done? When faced with this horrific enemy? I have to intervene. I simply have to.

"Tatsuta!" I yell out, at the top of my lungs. But I get no response.

Suddenly, Tatsuta begins to run towards them, her blade ready in her hands. She swings the scythe towards the unsuspecting Tsu-class Light Cruiser, slashing its chest open, turquoise fluids pouring out. I'm taken aback by this; the scythe can only be used for defense… She ditched her firearms to attack with a melee defense weapon. This is unlike her. She would never make such a bold move. She would never throw herself into danger so boldly. Not without a second thought…

She turns around. I can see her face. Her cheeks are covered in blood, her eyes are wide open. Her expression is filled with frustration and despair. She's clinging to her life with everything she has. She's clinging on to every last bit of hope. And with that, she fights. She fights in the boldest fashion possible.

The Tsu-class Light Cruiser sinks to the bottomless sea. Tatsuta attacks the other one in a frenzy, cutting its back open, allowing it to sink to the depths. But right then, behind her, a torpedo is approaching at an unimaginable speed.

I will not allow this. Not then, not now, not ever.

In just the blink of an eye, I tackle the Abyssal torpedo with my sword. Tatsuta looks back in shock. The torpedo explodes only meters away from her. My bandages are falling all around me, my blood staining the deep blue waters and bathing the left side of my face. My breathing is heavy. But once again, I'm still standing. I'm still standing.

"Once again…" I heard her whisper softly. She paused. The rescue fleet has arrived. Heavy Cruisers are firing away on the lone Torpedo Cruiser Chi-class. Akashi and Hayasui are tending to the Destroyers. I turn around to face Tatsuta. The sun is setting behind me, dying the ocean a deep orange.

"Once again…" She continued. "Even when hope seems to have been lost, you always appear to protect me." Tears filled her previously manic face. "In this life, I can only strive to repay you, and to be like you," A pause. "Tsubasa."

And that's all I need.

All the pain on my body disappeared with that one word she uttered. It's how I remember why I endured my inhuman transformation. It's how I remember that what I used to be before is not gone for good. It's how I remember why I no longer refuse the wicked authorities who force us into these ungodly battles. As long as she's safe, as long as she's alive, I can keep on fighting. Because it's her who reminds me I'm not a weapon, nor a machine. I'm not a soldier, I'm not disposable. I'm human. I'm still human. My conscience will never disappear. Knowing this… my heart can never stop beating.

"Hey now." I called out, blood dripping down my arms and my left eye throbbing in pain. But even then, I was alright. It was alright.

"Let's go home," I reach my hand out to her. "Arata."

The sun finally set behind the faraway mountains. We were finally heading back to be base, with the help of the rescue fleet. The air was cold, but I felt warm. I felt warm, just like any real human would.

This war will end one day. And we will emerge victorious; victoriously alive. And then, one day we can look at the light of day and refer to each other by our human names once again.

But until then, we will wait and see. We will wait, we will fight, and we will see what the future is going to have in store for us. But whatever that may be, we will survive.


End file.
